Kaavan: “The loneliest elephant in the world” should fly to freedom

For years, 35-year-old Kaavan was chained in a small fence. Now his suffering-plagued story should end: Animal rights activists had prepared the elephant for its flight to Cambodia in recent months. Kaavan should find a new home there.

Pop icon Cher also traveled to Pakistan to accompany the elephant. He has campaigned for Kaavan’s freedom since 2016. Recently, employees of the animal welfare organization Vier Pfoten prepared the trip scheduled for Sunday. The team had reviewed Kaavan for travel fitness in September. Before the flight, there were a series of challenges for “the loneliest elephant in the world”.

Kaavan had developed psychological problems due to his past, veterinarian Amir Khalil of the Four Paws animal welfare organization said on a November day at Marghazar Zoo. Only a few keepers cared for the elephant so intensely. Also, it was only after the death of a female elephant eight years ago. Khalil won his trust with music – he sang the Frank Sinatra classic for him over and over again. And the elephant looks really confident. “He is much calmer,” said Austrian Khalil.

Animal rights activists have been fighting for her freedom for years. They received special support from Cher, who half-financed Kaavan’s trip. The flight to the animal sanctuary in Cambodia costs around 250,000 euros, according to the organization Vier Pfoten, which pays the rest of the trip. In the past, the Pakistani authorities had prepared against the project. But in May an Islamabad court ruled that Kaavan should go to a sanctuary and the zoo should be closed.

Meanwhile, preparations have been made for weeks at Cambodia Wildlife Sanctuary in the north of the kingdom. First, Kaavan needs to be housed in a smaller enclosure to get used to his new environment and new family. This mainly consists of three elephant cows named Diploh, Arun Reah and Sarai Mia.

“We set up a 3,000-square-foot quarantine area for him, including a water hole,” said Canadian elephant expert Darrick Thomson, who worked on Kaavan’s arrival. “He’s very close to our elephant ladies, he’ll like it.” The pachyderms can walk around the huge sanctuary all day, only in the evening they return to their smaller enclosures. “We have a lot of space here, 12,000 acres,” Thomson said. Subsequently, even the “newbie” should be able to move freely in the beautiful nature.

Kaavan will take some time to get used to. After all, for 35 years he had little room for himself. The elephant arrived in Pakistan as a one-year-old baby. It was a gift from the Sri Lankan government to former dictator and general Zia ul-Haq.

Because he’s been so isolated for so long, Kaavan may initially be able to react aggressively to the new conditions, Thomson said. “But it’s a welcome change for him, much better than his sad existence so far. And he suffered company, even if at first separated by fence and walls. “Nobody could predict how he would react to the elephant cows.” We want to avoid injuries. “Then there should be direct contact with conspecifics step by step” and then we will see “.

Kaavan’s first job started three years ago in Cambodia. Then they were hired again. “We thought,” This will never happen, they won’t let him go, “Thomson said. Now a happy future awaits the elephant.” He’ll love the grasslands, the woods and the pools of water. “

Back to Pakistan: a German elephant trainer came to make the passenger, which weighs tons, transportable. He packed Kaavan for the flight in a custom-made transport box. “We take advantage of the fact that they like food,” said Ingo Schmidinger at the zoo at the foot of Margalla Hill. So he gets Kaavan used to the transport box with melons, apples and vegetables. “Elephants learn immediately,” the expert said. “And the great thing is that he likes to do it.”

Training is needed, explained Schmidinger. An elephant cannot simply be stunned during a flight of several hours. “Kaavan should remain fully awake and conscious during the journey.” In this way, the elephant can compensate for the movements of the plane. The vets take care of the plane and provide the pachyderms with water and food.

Khalil, who hasn’t left Kaavan’s side in the past few weeks, had put the elephant on a diet. He slowly reduced his daily feed requirement from 200 to around 30 kilograms of sugar cane. As a result Kaavan lost several hundred pounds. A huge effort to give freedom to a single elephant, but there are hardly any critics.

“I feel compelled to give him the opportunity to be an elephant,” Khalil said. Only a few animals were here last. Some monkeys, a lone deer and two bears to take to Jordan. Many other animals in the zoo had lost their lives due to poor housing conditions. Kaavan was one of the last to remain, says the 56-year-old vet. “It’s a symbol of hope, Kaavan was the ambassador of all animals here.”